Folsom Lake, CA

11,450-acre reservoir near Folsom. A big American River reservoir on the edge of Sacramento, deep and rocky at the dam, known for spotted and smallmouth bass, trout and landlocked king salmon.

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Where to start

Callibaetis (Speckled Dun) window is on — see the hatch outlook

Max 281 ft

Know this water and see something off?

Hatch outlook

Callibaetis (Speckled Dun)Active window

Typical here: May 1 – Oct 1 · multi-brood; a documented midsummer lull when surface temps push fish deep

nymphthe hours before the midday emergence — nymphs rise off the weed tops in a vertical zigzag that can take hours — sources split between slow 2–4 inch strips with long pauses and a quicker steady retrieve; carry both speeds
dunmidday, roughly 11am into early afternoon
spinnermid-to-late-morning falls

Trout browse the weed-bed edges knocking nymphs loose, then cruise the flats sipping duns at midday — the marquee western lake mayfly.

The midday emergence puts cruisers over weed flats in under 20 ft: a casting bubble with a #14 Callibaetis nymph retrieved dead-slow with pauses is the honest match. Between hatch hours, small spoons and #1 inline spinners along the weed edges and drop-offs pick off the same fish.

The event happens over weed flats and weed-bed edges in 20 ft of water or less

Damselfly migrationActive window

Typical here: May 25 – Aug 31 · Davis peaks around the third week of June; Crowley runs through July

nymphdaytime, over days to weeks — the event is the shoreward swim: nymphs leave the deep weed beds and migrate toward shore to crawl out, swimming with a sinuous sidewinder motion in the top two feet — retrieve TOWARD shore in small slow strips with pauses, nearly unweighted so it stays in the strike zone
adultsummer days over and around the weed beds — still on the menu into early September

The marquee visual event of western stillwaters — fish follow the migration into the shallows and 'shark' in behind a swimming nymph a few inches under the surface.

The best conventional window on western lakes: fish herd olive nymphs along the weedlines in a few feet of water. Work the smallest olive and gold spoons and #1–2 spinners slowly ALONG the weed edge and toward shore — direction matters, the naturals all swim shoreward. Everything happens in the top 2 ft.

peak migration flurries run days at a stretch inside the multi-week window

The event happens over shallow weed flats and weedlines, migrating toward shoreline tules, timber and other crawl-out structure

Chironomids (stillwater midges)Active window

Typical here: Apr 25 – Oct 31 · end of April to the end of October at Crowley — the main food source for the entire season

nymphearly morning, start of the day — fish the bloodworm ON the bottom — 4–6 inches off the mud before the emergence starts
pupathe cool morning hours are prime — as the emergence builds, slide the pupa up to 12–15 inches off bottom under the indicator; a little wind chop does the jigging

Concentrates by DEPTH BAND and mud type, not a fixed spot: roughly 20–25 ft in spring, deeper midsummer, in against the feeder creeks in summer heat, 5–25 ft in fall. Match the band.

This one translates almost perfectly: a slip float with a 1/64–1/100 oz midge-pattern jig set 4–15 inches off bottom over a mud flat, dead-sticked with the chop doing the work. Depth control is everything — no moving lure imitates a hanging pupa; the float rig IS the technique.

The event happens over open mud flats alongside weedlines, channels and basin edges; feeder-creek mouths in summer heat

Grasshoppers (east-side summer)Active window

Typical here: Jul 1 – Sep 30 · the East Walker and Upper Owens terrestrial program

adultall day in high summer, best when afternoon wind knocks bugs onto the water

Pulls fish to the windward grassy banks and edges for months — fish the bank the wind blows ONTO.

The friendliest crossover of the summer: on lakes, drift the windward bank with a bubble-and-foam-hopper — the bubble's splash doesn't hurt a hopper presentation. On rivers, the same rig dead-drifted along the undercut grass banks, or small gold spinners under the banks between rises.

The event happens over grassy banks, undercut edges and windward shorelines

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours here are interpolated from real agency depth surveys (state DNR / USACE). Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

Loading depth chart…

Recent catches at Folsom Lake

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Folsom Lake on the board.

Fishing Folsom Lake: what the data says

11,450-acre reservoir near Folsom. A big American River reservoir on the edge of Sacramento, deep and rocky at the dam, known for spotted and smallmouth bass, trout and landlocked king salmon. The lake tops out around 281 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.

On the chart, Folsom Lake draws 10,880 acres inside 80.6 miles of shoreline. The 5.5 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. About 2% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. End to end it runs roughly 13 mi, about 7.3 mi across. You'll find it in El Dorado County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: American River (Lower), 19 mi southwest of here.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Folsom Lake

Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Old creek channel is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 34 ft, rated prime for winter largemouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (2 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Offshore hump (22 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (29 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Old creek channel (34 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Folsom Lake

In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 30 ft before dropping to 20 to 45 ft for winter. Summer smallmouth bass concentrate at Offshore hump, a prime-rated offshore hump around 28 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Ned rig, Tube jig
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Offshore hump (28 ft)	Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig
Fall	8 to 25 ft	midday & dawn	Offshore hump (22 ft)	Jerkbait, Blade bait
Winter	20 to 45 ft	midday	Offshore hump (28 ft)	Blade bait, Hair jig

Spotted Bass fishing at Folsom Lake

Come spring, look for spotted bass tight to the bank in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 15 to 40 ft, then a winter hold in 25 to 50 ft. Start at Offshore hump. It's an offshore hump holding about 28 ft of water and rates prime come summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A drop shot over brush or an underspin + fluke (schoolers) is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Marina / dock area (4 ft)	Ned rig on gravel points, Shaky head
Summer	15 to 40 ft	dawn & dusk	Offshore hump (28 ft)	Drop shot over brush, Underspin + fluke (schoolers)
Fall	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (29 ft)	Walking topwater, Underspin
Winter	25 to 50 ft	midday	Main-lake point (29 ft)	Damiki/hover rig, Jigging spoon

Rainbow Trout fishing at Folsom Lake

Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 29 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Aderson Creek inflow (44 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Old creek channel (34 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (29 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	8 to 40 ft	dawn	Old creek channel (34 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Chinook Salmon fishing at Folsom Lake

Start shallow in spring: chinook salmon sit in 5 to 40 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 50 to 120 ft; cold water stacks them in 30 to 90 ft. Top water on the chart: Aderson Creek inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in the 44 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a flasher + fly (green/white) or a magnum spoon on downrigger until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 40 ft	dawn & dusk	Aderson Creek inflow (44 ft)	Trolled spoon (orange/gold), Stickbait off planer boards
Summer	50 to 120 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (120 ft)	Flasher + fly (green/white), Magnum spoon on downrigger
Fall	10 to 50 ft	dawn & dusk	Aderson Creek inflow (44 ft)	J-plug (glow), Flasher + fly
Winter	30 to 90 ft	midday	Deep basin (248 ft)	Small spoon on a slow troll, Stickbait deep

Channel Catfish fishing at Folsom Lake

Spring puts channel catfish in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 40 ft. Old creek channel is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 34 ft, rated prime for winter channel catfish. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	Aderson Creek inflow (44 ft)
Summer	8 to 25 ft	night & dusk	Offshore hump (22 ft)
Fall	10 to 30 ft	dusk	Old creek channel (34 ft)
Winter	20 to 40 ft	midday	Old creek channel (34 ft)

Folsom Lake also holds crappie (10 to 25 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.

Notable structure

The chart marks 18 structure features on Folsom Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 248 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 248 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 120 ft
Shoreline point: point, around 65 ft
Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 57 ft
Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 53 ft
Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 47 ft
Secondary point: point, around 44 ft
Aderson Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 44 ft
Shoreline point: point, around 37 ft
Back-bay flat: feeding flat, around 36 ft
Old creek channel: creek channel, around 34 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 29 ft
Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 28 ft
Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 22 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
Granite Bay Boat Launch — ramp
Granite Bay Boat Launch — ramp
…plus 1 more mapped sites.

Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Folsom Lake fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for California waters are set by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Folsom Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official California fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Folsom Lake?

Folsom Lake is about 281 ft (86 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.

What fish are in Folsom Lake?

Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, rainbow trout, chinook salmon, channel catfish, crappie, bluegill on Folsom Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Folsom Lake?

Offshore hump is the top-rated area: an offshore hump in about 28 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Folsom Lake?

For largemouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.

What are the fishing regulations for Folsom Lake?

Fishing on Folsom Lake is regulated by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Check the official California regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.

Nearby waters

American River (Lower) 19 mi · Snowflower 45 mi · Rucker Lake 46 mi · Blue Lake 47 mi · Buck Island Lake 48 mi · Carr Lake 49 mi · Rubicon Reservoir 49 mi · Feely Lake 49 mi · Lindsey Lakes 50 mi · Cascade Lakes, Upper 50 mi · Culbertson Lake 50 mi · Lake Sterling 51 mi

See how Folsom Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in California · best smallmouth bass lakes in California · best crappie lakes in California · best bluegill lakes in California

More water nearby: El Dorado County fishing maps (5 charts). Browse all California fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.